EarthBorn: First Days

First day 4th Quarter

Unforgiving landscapes presented as paradise, tropical primeval forests with hidden killers the knights are awed but on edge their senses still adjusting to the wonders around them, the witnessed aftermath of the battle keeps them light on their feet they must stay focused in this prehistoric world. Sky fleets of winged beasts shift like a swarm of eagles the sound is almost deafening, they birth booms made by beating their wings hard, the larger taking down the smaller dog fights led by talons and dagger beaks the whole sky taken up and used as they chase each other far in all directions, herds of bulky grazers plunge their faces into rich green pastures their red backs like sun kissed stone skin smooth but has no shine, smaller blue scavengers eight legged and swift weave between them like scavengers not leaving any loose grass to waste, the knights head down the hill onto the lush green ,

One Legion scanning and ever watchful seizes a chance to release some energy and stretch his legs he is in his element, his AI chip is already taking in data, the plains elemental make up, moisture levels, the estimated speeds , their build, weight and projected power level ...he selects his choice...the Cheetah. ..One legion halts behind the others, he bends into a squat then falls onto his front hands as if defeated, his femurs extend making his reach lengthen his knees reverse, his arms and wrists twist and transform to match the predators structure , he takes position, his spike boots plunge into the dirt he feels the blades of grass and soil cushion his weight, he cannot feel with his cold fingers only with sight can he satisfy his feeling like a old memory reborn... with no warning he lets loose, the ground shakes with each bound dust and grit chewed up behind the oxygen rich air whistles into his gleeful face he zig zags at great speed an easy Man to track with what he leaves behind , the herds sense the approaching calamity all heads rise from the feast to see where the threat come, they spot Legion and run the opposite direction as fast as their legs can carry them, a stampede unaware that the coming Man is no more harmful to them then a mother is her child. Maidon is confused at what she sees from her fabled superior...

“With respect, I don’t think we have time for this! I thought he was...well...the best?” ...Rune grins before remarking...

“By all means Maidon tell him......and don’t forget to say please”...Both Rune and Wayke share a laugh at The young Maidons expense...

As Legion plays and tears up the plains at distance the three Knights come to the edge of a forest, dense and dark the ground foliage sparse there are no set paths in or out, two thick levels of canopy of opposite appearances, cousin species each dominate their heights, the top canopy rich in colour bearing fruits and flowers of pure bliss a fine banquet for any who can harvest, the lower canopy dark and crooked as lightning blasts that strike the ground, leaves small and low in number they only cover the very top branches allowing stray light to nourish the sun parched forest floor, taken by the spectacle Maidon seduced by its beauty ,Rune takes a half step before turning to notice Wayke not moving but standing still listening to the forest...

“what is it Wayke?” ...Rune asks concerned, Wayke looks up at his friend to answer with no expression...

“ somethings coming! ”

Waykes helmet slams down over his face , the eyes charge to ocean blue followed by the quick draw of his legendary Axe, all get an unfamiliar feeling they’ve never felt before, alien to their acute senses it’s the unknown , Rune and Maidon hear nothing but Wayke can hear their breaths and heartbeats as if they were his own, branches high snap like his very bones but to Rune it’s but a twig afar, they take a few steps back from the forest, they see nothing but the unknown compels them to step off, silence again no more sounds but the breeze and grass rustling.

“GET DOWN! “...Wayke bellows preparing to manoeuvre,

he leaps into the air above Rune just as the creature springs it’s ambush, clashing with the beast mid air a single blow disembowels the creature, it falls to the floor intestines spilling out it dies seconds after from the blood loss, silence again. They look at the slain foe as it lay twitching upon the ground, muscular and large a true tree dweller, powerful half man like hands tipped with nails like glass spears it’s blood is red as any others, an Ape of nightmares... The silence broken by the creatures troop he was not alone their number not known for they hide among tangle of thick branches ...Rune sounds his intentions...“BACK OFF THE TREE LINE , FORM UP”.....

Maidon steps off, she grasps the pole from her thigh and with a whipping motion brings her shift flail to life, a pulsing translucent formation holds a metallic spherical cosh Asif by thin air, the barbed spine that tear flesh made of magnetic energy , her helmet slams down over her head and her eyes charge to a luring green, her shield ripples like a drop into a glass of water to the edge and back she is ready...

Rune draws his great sword grip and grasps it in front of his chest his, horned helmet slams over his face eyes charge to a brilliant white his blade burst to life, double edged the blades hover in place held by powerful magnetic energy, his shield blade slowly draws up his arm the Centur core amour adjusts and shifts to shield his open spots a human fortress...the creatures fall silent the knights wait ready, Deep controlled breaths...

Silence is smashed by the screams and assault of another beast, it leaps from the tree line fist first at Rune, but Earth Thane as if slowing time simply leans back hard to his left and takes the foes head clean off and readjusts...the rest of the troop unleash fury, they fall from the canopy and fire like deck guns from the tree line from high and low, Rune Wayke and Maidon engage with the same devastating effect they were born with, the troop fight mindlessly catapulting them selves into the knights hard armour harming themselves more then the target, they hit hard with nothing held back, small dust clouds form with each block or landing they are an apex predator to those not of strength...

Maidon ducks and weaves as she takes her adversaries by their flanks and from behind, her speed and bone breaking flail cracks skulls and limbs alike tearing flesh from anywhere else, the weapon shows the immense skill necessary to wield it with every movement bringing death inches from her, the flail brunt temporarily disconnects from the magnetic shackles allowing Maidon to release it as a projectile in the blink of an eye...

Wayke is methodical and technical using the three move practice of weave pivot or ascend , the primates try to clam and cling to him but fall short of limbs, he rolls under a hooking swipe activating his gauntlet and ploughs it into the following beast , you can hear his chest plate crack and organs burst as he is excessively halted in his tracks, he pivots about to the outmanoeuvred assailant at his back, the gauntlet dazes the animal immediately followed up by Waykes axe embedded into his brow.

Rune is a combination of strength finesse and kata, three head straight for him, he hastens forward to greet them, he digs his heels in hard to halt turning his back spreading his arms like a soaring eagle, the two apes unable to stop impact each arm with each of Runes blades removing their skull tops, his blade held back in both hands facing the third and final attacker Earth Thane sprints head on at the beast thrusting through the primeval creatures chest it’s face so close he can smell it’s last meal...

Rune Maidon and Wayke make short work of mindless troop members, the beasts fight hard and fast but these Humans have fought for too long, they swing off our knights landing with parts missing they will not survive much longer, the retreat and pull to the tree line to face off with the knights, the last straggler hooked by its skull Maidon slamming it to it’s back...Wayke can sense something else approaching, its bigger it movements so clear to Waykes ears it surpasses the collective troop , a tree fly’s from out of the canopy high and far the knights start to back off , they can see the inner trees bending and sending leafs raining down to the ground, a silhouette draws closer, the troop parts making way for their dominant bull to take the front, eleven feat on all fours deadly spines upon the back deep in ruby red, his mouth Asif a deep ocean fish designed to swallow and crush prey with enormous cheek and jaw power, a force of nature they never thought could exist...

Rune steps forward and waves his sword to stance, he directly challenges the bull which reacts by rearing back on it’s hind legs and sounding his mightiest roar and pounding his bare chest, it takes three steps forward rocking the ground with each smash of his knuckles on the ground, Rune tightens his grip and digs his back foot in deep, he feels the grind of the dust beneath his boot the sound of the breeze and leaves fade to silence ,his eyes are focused he sees the pollen leaving the grass that keeps the world ticking by, the beast charges full speed each step taken in half time to Rune every movement present in immense detail he stands ready to engage, a brain chilling war cry he hears it loud and deep from his left flank, the sound waves distort his focused state it is almost upon them...

“AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH” ...One legion charges and leaps through the air, his thick oxidized armour shifts to cover his shoulders helmet slamming down over his face his eyes charge to blood red, He takes the long heavy shaft from his back and begins to rotate mid air his reveals it’s deadly mechanics, a huge pointed brunt floats off the hammer face, this pilot brunt creates a flat base before the follow through impact resulting in a distinctive double sound...

“THUMB-PING”

a huge deafening smithy’s hammer clank ripples the beasts skull sending him rolling twenty feet across the plain and One Legion tumbling behind leaving the bulls blood in the air where he stood, the Three see the beast rolling about seriously damaged and hurt even at a distance, One Legion regains himself and walks over raising his hammer over his head with both hands...“THUMB-PING” ...

the beast moves no more, a simple and clear demonstration of One Legions ferocity and deadly unpredictability...

The rest of the troop cry their calls not the same as before, they leave back to the Forrest to which they came leaderless and defeated, Legion drags the bulls carcass over to Rune and drops it on the floor , Wayke takes a knee at the fallen bull and begins to bless the creature now slaughtered for doing only what it knows, conversing with death has given him a sense of respect for what the slain face in the after life, Legion grunts and walks off as a firm atheist and non believer of true divinity he does not want to hear any holy words, Rune stands at the edge of the Forrest looking deep through the vines, approaches to see what troubles him...

“Rune!?!? ....what’s wrong ,what do you see?”...she pleas...

“Nothing I just got a feeling that’s all...get the others ...were going that way!” ...